Ninja Storm: The Ice Warrior
by MF 22
Summary: Ice can give life, or it can take it. Meet the Ice Warrior, the mysterious newest Ranger with the power of the ages. What are the secrets of his past, and why does he look so familiar?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers, Saban does. I own all characters, events, and places not found in Ninja Storm.

**Ninja Storm: The Ice Warrior**

**Summary: **Ice. It can save lives, or it can claim them. What are the secrets of the Ranger who wields this awesome element, and why does he look very familiar?

**Prologue**

**Ice Ninja Academy- Stone Canyon**

Deep in the of mountains of Stone Canyon, hidden behind powerful ancient protection and illusion spells stood the Ice Ninja Academy, which teaches pupils with the power to wield the strongest and most rare of all the elements.

Sensei Hanaori, the head teacher of the Ice Academy, was watching his adopted son Chris, who is the best student of the Academy, work through a kata using a bo. Chris loved using the bo, and he was an absolute terror with it. Sensei Hanaori knew his son wasn't going to like what has to be done, but he was the best student, and he stood the best chance of helping get things done. He cleared his throat to get Chris' attention.

"Chris, may I have a word?"

Chris put his bo up in the weapons case nearby and approached his foster father. "What is it, Dad? You look distressed," Chris said.

Sensei sighed. "I am distressed. All the other Academies have been attacked, and the pupils and teachers that haven't been killed in the attacked have been abducted by a rogue Ninja named Lothor."

Chris frowned. "Who is this 'Lothor,' and what does he want? Furthermore, why attack now? What does he hope to accomplish?"

"Unfortunately, while those are good questions, we don't know the answers to any of them. He seemingly appeared at random and attacked the Wind Academy in Blue Bay Harbor. Only 3 students either survived or escaped Lothor's wrath."

"Dad, there were over 300 students alone at the Wind Academy! Where could this 'Lothor' put so many pupils, not to mention the students and teachers of the other Academies? To pull something like this off, he'd need a sizeable army and a large base of operations. Given that, what can we do about all this? And what about us? If Lothor has attacked the other schools, won't we be next?"

"It is highly likely that Lothor does not know of our location. We will do everything possible to make sure it stays that way. Now as for the next question, Sensei Watanabe of the Wind Academy has equipped the surviving students with something similar to what I'm about to give to you," Sensei Hanaori responded as he pulled out a cherry blossom chest with an icicle engraved into the lid. Snowflakes adorned the sides. He opened the chest to reveal a wrist-mounted device with a disc that has the symbol of the Ice Academy on it.

"This is the Tundra morpher. You activate it by saying, 'Tundra Storm, Ranger Form.' You'll then morph into the Ice Ninja Ranger."

It took a lot of take Chris off guard, but this was one of those things. "Dad, do you think I can do this? I don't know if I'm ready for something as big as a war."

"I firmly believe you can. There isn't a student here with your skill in both armed and unarmed combat, and your skill with the element is unmatched. With more time and practice, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll even surpass me."

Chris raised an eyebrow at that. His father wasn't prone to exaggeration, but that boast seemed a little farfetched. But he wasn't going to doubt his father's judgment. He sighed and took the morpher from the case, attaching it to his wrist. Sensei Hanaori smiled and handed him a small piece of paper.

"This is the number of a friend of mine. He and his wife are former Rangers themselves, and run a youth center and juice bar in Blue Bay. In exchange for letting you stay in the apartment above the youth center free of charge, they'd like for you to work there. They know what Ranger duty is like, so there shouldn't be a problem if you have to head into battle. I also have set up a checking and savings account for you, and put several thousand in there. You'll have nothing to worry about in regards to money."

Chris nodded. "Fair trade-off. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Yes, one of the hangouts of the locals is a sports shop called Storm Chargers. The proprietor of the establishment has the other Rangers of the team working for her, and she knows of their Ranger duties, as well. So you wouldn't have to hide from her should you find yourself hanging out there. You shouldn't need to pack much, as the room you'll be staying in is fully furnished and stocked. Just your electronics and clothes for a week should suffice, as you can buy more clothes later. You'll also find something waiting for you at the youth center when you arrive."

Chris didn't know what to think. Never in his wildest dreams did he consider getting involved in a covert war, especially when certain factions of the government have been trying to discover the identities of the Rangers, and getting their hands on Ranger secrets and technology. But he agreed to do this, even though he still felt he wasn't ready. He idly wondered if all Rangers felt that way when they were chosen. After he had packed his uniforms and clothes, which he didn't have a lot of, he carefully put his electronics into a backpack and was about to head to the front of the Academy grounds and hike down to the bus stop when his father stopped him and said he'd take him to the bus station. After doing so, he wished his foster son the best of luck, and that he's proud of him. After grabbing a salmon salad from a Greek restaurant nearby, he hopped onto the first bus to Blue Bay Harbor, not knowing what awaited him when he reached the site of the newest Ranger team.


	2. Chapter 1: Entering Blue Bay Harbor

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers, Saban does. I own all characters, events, and places not found in Ninja Storm.

Chapter 1: Entering Blue Bay Harbor

**Greyhound bus station**

Chris got off the bus and called the number his foster father gave him.

"Youth Center, this is Aisha. May I help you?"

"Yes, I was given this number by my foster father, who said he share a certain side job."

Aisha DeSantos knew Ranger talk when she heard it, and her head immediately picked up at that. She was expecting it, but still hearing it was different, as she and her husband Rocky haven't donned the suit in more than a decade. She called Rocky over and said they got the call they were expecting. He told her he'd continue putting things up for the Grand Opening, which was next week. Everything else was pretty much finished: The furniture had been delivered and set up, the workout equipment put together, the flatscreens put up and cable installed, computers set up, the juice bar stocked, and the kitchen and its staff had been taken care of. All that remained was putting up pictures and decorations, and sweeping up. All that should be done by the time she got back, he told his wife. She nodded and said she'll be at the station in a few minutes.

**Greyhound bus station**

After Chris hung up, he wondered if he was in over his head. He knew how to fight and kill, but becoming a superhero was not something he trained for. He waited for about 20 minutes when he saw a Yellow convertible pull up and a beautiful African-American female looking around. He kept a close eye on her, in the off chance she might be looking for him, although he couldn't know for certain without asking. He didn't want to appear presumptuous, so he didn't go up to her; it was possible, after all, that she was looking for someone else.

That hypothesis was shot down as she pulled out her cell and dialed the number that appeared on the Caller ID back at the Youth Center. When she heard Chris' cell ring nearby, she whipped her head to the sound and saw Chris holding up his cell. She quickly hung up and approached him.

"Chris Hanaori?" Chris nodded.

"I am. And since people ask all the time about my appearance, I'll just say I'm adopted."

Aisha nodded. "I wasn't going to ask, but you couldn't have known. People asking about your name probably gets annoying." Chris nodded again, as she led him to her car and drove back to the Youth Center.

**Youth Center**

As Aisha pulled into the parking lot, she told Chris that the stairway leading to the apartment was by the delivery lot. She showed him the apartment, where he put his stuff down and she gave him a key, which he put on a keychain he was already wearing. She then brought him down to the first floor of the Youth Center where Rocky had finished putting the decorations up and just got finished sweeping. Everything was done, and all that was left was waiting for the Grand Opening next week. Rocky had already sent home another Ranger who was working for them, the Green Ranger Samantha Sinclair, an Irish transplant. After introducing Chris to Rocky, the three started talking.

"So, where are you from," Rocky asked.

"Stone Canyon," the Ice Ninja responded. Rocky and Aisha got excited.

"Really? That's where we're initially from," Aisha said.

"I know. I've been reading about all the previous teams," Chris said after making sure no civilians were around and Rocky and Aisha said the surveillance cameras haven't been turned on yet. "It took a lot of time, but I think I have memorized the pertinent information. But something I've always wondered about is who took Dark Specter's place as Monarch of Evil? And since villains keep coming back like a bad rash, will Ivan Ooze ever return?"

Those questions deeply unnerved the veteran Rangers, although they had to admit that they were very good questions, and had oftentimes wondered the same.

"There has been a power vacuum, as far as we can tell. There have been numerous entities vying for Dark Specter's vacated spot, and parties have been consolidating their forces and power. But so far, nobody has conclusively emerged as the new Monarch. And as for Ivan Ooze, well…we pray he never returns. In all our years as Rangers, he was easily our toughest opponent."

It was that answer that showcased just how different Rocky DeSantos was from his teenaged self. He knew how to be serious when he, Adam, and Aisha were Rangers, but he always liked to crack jokes or create mischief. His legendary appetite remained intact, but his time as a Ranger forced him to grow up. He sometimes flashed signs of his playful youth days, but he was now much more serious.

"A power vacuum, you say? That's most disturbing, as nature abhors a vacuum," Chris said ominously. Rocky and Aisha nodded solemnly, agreeing with the new Ranger.

"So, what can you do," Aisha asked. Chris spotted a lukewarm glass of Coke sitting by Rocky and he pointed a finger towards it. A thin, concentrated beam of Ice shot from his finger and instantly cooled the drink considerably. Rocky looked at it and took a sip, finding those Ice powers really work. Although he had to put the glass down before his hand got too cold.

"Very impressive," the former Red Ranger said, as Aisha nodded.

"What else," she asked.

"Well, a lot of my other Ice powers are offensive in nature, although I do have some defensive capabilities. I can generate an Ice shield, or a barrier of Ice. The defensive capabilities of our kind are amazing."

"But what about offensive power," Rocky pushed. Chris gazed into space.

"You probably don't want to know about them. They're terrifying," he said quietly.

The sudden change in the White Ranger's tone wasn't lost on the former Red and Yellow Rangers, who exchanged worried glances. Rocky started to feel as if maybe asking about his abilities wasn't a great idea after all. He pushed the conversation to the side.

"Oh well. Anyway, Grand Opening is next week, and everything has been set up. The only thing left, aside from turning on the surveillance cameras, is getting the refreshments together, but we won't do that until at least 4 days before the event, at the earliest. So you have the nest 5 days to explore the city before you'll be needed to start work. Any questions?" The White Ranger shook his head.

"Good. We just need you to pass a drug test, and we have some materials for you to go over. It's just basic stuff, such as blood borne pathogens one could encounter, employee conduct, etc."

"I could take that drug test now. I have to use the restroom anyway, so why not take down two birds with one stone?"

Aisha nodded and gave the White Ranger a specimen container, telling him what to do. After he returned with a urine sample, they sent it to a friend in a lab just down the street. The test came back clean, as expected. After telling Chris how to get into the apartment without having to go through the Youth Center and setting off the security system after hours, Rocky and Aisha closed shop and left until next week. They gave Chris their contact information in case of concerns or an emergency.

Chris looked around the city from the window in his new apartment. He had several days to explore his new city and read up on the material he was given. Since the pamphlets weren't that thick at all, he figured he'd be through both in about an hour. So he got to work, and unpacked his suitcase after he finished reading. He grabbed a snack bar and decided that he needed to get some groceries. Maybe later.

As he was about to start doing some pull-ups from the beam in the room, Chris heard some screaming. He looked out the window to see strange black and red creatures with blades attacking civilians, with a strange alien hanging back, looking around for something. He then saw blurs of Red, Blue, Crimson, Navy, and Yellow shoot past the creatures and slam into the alien, knocking it into the nearby square. Chris decided to get a closer look at the battle from afar.

Upon arriving at the scene, Chris stood atop a building and looked down at the Ninja Storm Rangers making battle with the alien and what he assumed to be foot soldiers of Lothor. Making sure he stayed clear of any surveillance equipment, Chris watched the battle. The Rangers seemed to be doing a good job of limiting collateral damage, as well taking care of the alien. They finally managed to knock him down into the nearby rock quarry, taking him away from civilian infrastructure. Chris moved to a tree nearby to continue observing. The Rangers quickly destroyed the alien, as well as the 30-story version.

As the Rangers were heading to their base of operations, Samantha stopped and looked back at the battlefield. Tori noticed her shy Irish friend lagging behind.

"Sam? Sam, what's wrong?"

"I got the strange feeling we're being watched," the Green Ranger said. Tori frowned and scanned the area. She couldn't find anything, but everyone learned to not doubt her instincts.

"Let's get back to Ops. Maybe Cam can find something." Sam nodded as she followed Tori back to her van, and headed to Ninja Ops.

**Ninja Ops**

"Cam, could you scan the immediate area of the battle? Sam felt we were being observed," Tori said as the Rangers entered Ninja Ops.

Cam nodded and performed the scan. He frowned.

"That's peculiar."

"What?"

"There's a dead area near the square where you were fighting. No surveillance could be taken of this area," he said, continuing to see if he could get anything.

"You couldn't even get a heat signature," Sam asked.

"Nothing! You're right, Sam. Something was definitely there."

"Rangers, keep your eyes open. You must be more cautious in case this is one of Lothor's schemes," Sensei said. The Rangers nodded.

Sam got the sinking feeling the Rangers were going to be in for a big surprise very soon. She just hoped it wasn't a nasty surprise.


	3. Chapter 2: Encounters

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers, Saban does. I own all characters, events, and places not found in Ninja Storm.

Chapter 2: Encounters

After stretching and doing some pull-ups, Chris searched for a path for him to run along. Finding one close to his new apartment, he took of on his daily 5 mile run. He grabbed some grapes, celery, and peanut butter after he got back and took a shower. He decided to explore more of the city and took his car out. While looking at the city, the White Ranger decided Blue Bay was a beautiful place, monster attacks aside.

Along the way, Chris went across the sports shop he was told about, Storm Chargers. Seeing it reminded Chris that he wanted to see what the city offered in winter sports activities. Since the city was in the mountains, he wanted to check out the ski slopes, and maybe see if there were competitions.

After driving back to the apartment, the Ice Ninja stepped out to grab a more substantial meal when he saw some Kelzacks fighting the Rangers, along with a monster standing by. Chris stepped into an alley to morph and went into the woods to get into position. As he did, he noticed another monster hiding, ready to ambush the Rangers. Chris quietly snuck up behind the monster, covered its mouth, and drove his sword through its heart. The monster spasmed, and went limp. Chris threw the body into the battlefield, startling both Rangers and monster alike.

"What happened," Tori asked as the body landed near her.

Sam approached the dead monster and noticed the wound in its heart. "It's been run through with something. This was an execution. Hold on," she said, pulling out her sword. She compared the width of the wound to her sword, and got her answer. "A sword very much like our own was used to slay the monster."

Lothor's remaining monster used the opportunity to fire its lasers. Hunter and Blake, being the only Rangers to stand back and keep an eye on the monster, rolled out of the way and started fighting it. The others got back up and started fighting as well.

**Lothor's ship**

"Zurgane!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Find out who slew that monster. It wasn't one of the Rangers. Find the one who did, and report back to me!"

"Yes, Sir!"

**Rock quarry**

Zurgane showed up at the battle, catching Hunter's attention. He immediately went after Lothor's General, and the fight was on. Zurgane thought he could lure out whoever killed the alien by getting involved himself.

With the other Rangers, the monster had managed to blast most of the team away, leaving Tori and Sam to pick up the slack. The monster got in some glancing blows until he got frozen.

"What's going on," Tori rhetorically asked.

A White blur dashed towards the monster and attacked several times, freeing the alien, but inflicting heavy damage. The alien couldn't get a beat on its attacker and swung wildly hoping to connect at least once. It failed and eventually exploded. It didn't come back in giant form. The White blur moved to the top of the cliff overlooking the battle, revealing a tall individual in a White Ranger suit. The chest had a unique mark enclosed in a gold circle. The symbol was one the Rangers had never seen before, and Zurgane saw the mystery Ranger, as well. Lothor informed Zurgane to return immediately. Before the others could say anything to the mystery Ranger, he disappeared.

"Rangers, return at once. We know what you saw, and we have much to discuss," Sensei's order came loud and clear.

**Lothor's ship**

"An Ice Ninja. They were supposed to be mere legends, a bedtime story. This is disturbing," Lothor exclaimed to Zurgane.

"What do we do, Sir? Their power is legendary," Zurgane said.

"We can't let him join up with the Rangers. We'll have to proceed with caution around this one."

"Yes, Sir!"

**Ninja Ops**

"We saw what happened. The ability used by the new Ranger is called cryokinesis," Cam explained. "The ability to use and manipulate Ice. This new Ranger is an Ice Ninja."

"Ice Ninja," Shane repeated, and Sensei nodded.

"They are a very rare and elusive sect which hasn't been seen in a long time. They were thought to have faded into mere legend," the guinea pig explained.

"Well, this one seems to be very real," Shane pointed out.

"Indeed. We must not allow him to fall into Lothor's hands. The kind of power the Ice Ninja possesses would tip the scales in Lothor's favor."

"How? He's just one guy," Blake said.

"The Ice powers are said to be the most powerful and rare of all the elements," Cam stated.

"It is because of this power that they were highly sought after when they moved openly among the other elemental users, and it was usually for undesirable activities. Fed up with people trying to use them, the Ice Ninja vanished, and haven't been seen for over 200 years," Sensei continued.

"No wonder people thought they're just a fabled group now," Blake said.

"There's two more things you should know," Cam continued. "Part of the reason the Ice Ninjas are so rare and powerful is because they also possess hydrokinetic abilities."

Hunter slowly nodded while Tori raised an eyebrow. However, there were a few who didn't understand.

"Dudes, am I the only one lost here," Dustin asked.

"No, I'm kind of lost, too," Blake said as Shane nodded.

"He's saying the Ice Ninja also have Water powers," Tori explained.

"Which actually makes sense, as Ice is solidified Water," Hunter added.

Cam nodded at both the Thunder and Water Ninjas, grateful that he didn't have to explain yet another thing. Both Hunter and Tori have proven they have above average intellects, and he didn't have to explain much to them. He didn't know Sam well enough to say one way or another, but she had impressed him so far. The others were of average intellect, and required explanation of his devices or plans most of the time.

Sam bit her lip, and spoke up for the first time. "He seems to show up at battles, right? So the next time there's a battle, we have to make sure we talk to him."

"But how? He disappeared when we spotted him," Tori said.

"We didn't "spot him," he _let _himself be seen," Sam corrected.

"Sam's right. I'm willing to bet that area of dead space that first time was really this Ice Ninja defeating surveillance devices. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be found."

"So we have to be very delicate in how we approach him." Sam turned to Shane. "Which means it's probably not a good idea for you to talk to him."

Shane looked incredulous. "Why not? We need to get this guy here; if I have to drag this guy here, I will."

"You just proved her point! You don't know the meaning of tact," Tori said in support of her friend. "If anything, she's the best choice," the Blue Ranger continued.

"What's the second part," Blake asked before an argument broke out.

"It is said the Ice Ninjas can be as frigid as their element. The stronger the power, the more distant they can be. The reason why was never known. Some thought the power of the element itself somehow altered the Ninja's personality. Others thought it was a mere coincidence, and since there weren't a lot of Ice Ninjas at any given time…"

"It was hard to prove one way or another," Hunter finished for Cam, picking up on the train of thought.

"Even more reason to let Sam or Tori do the talking," Blake said.

"Exercise extreme caution around the Ice Ninja, guys. We don't know if he's friend or foe," Cam said. The computer beeped, alerting the Rangers to another attack.

"Here's your chance. Be on the lookout for Zurgane, though. Lothor will undoubtedly try to turn this guy to his side," Cam said.

**Downtown Blue Bay**

"Where are you, Frosty," the alien asked in a low hiss. "Show yourself!"

"Be careful what you ask for," came a disembodied voice as a torrent of Water knocked the alien off its feet. That attack was followed up by an Icicle tearing through the alien's shoulder, making it scream in pain and fury. It looked around and saw the Ranger standing not even 10 yards away, looking as if he didn't care. The alien didn't know if the Ranger was stupid, insane, or overconfident, nor did it much care. It rushed the Ranger, who stepped back and started his onslaught. He unleashed a flurry of powerful kicks and punches, culminating in a front snap kick, knocking the alien away.

The other Rangers appeared in time to see the White Ranger produce some Ice blades seemingly from thin air.

"Shouldn't we be helping him," Dustin asked.

"He seems to be handling his own quite well," Sam said. "Let's hold back just in case of an ambush."

Shane nodded. "Split up and look for Zurgane or anyone else from Lothor's army. We also have to watch out for that beam stunt Lothor used on Hunter back on Portico Island."

The others nodded and did as ordered. Meanwhile, Chris was throttling the alien, and froze it with an Ice blast. He used his blades to create a deep gash in its chest, and it fell, gasping as it bled out and the White Ranger watched. Soon enough, a Scroll of Empowerment was seen hovering over the monster, and it grew. Before the others could call upon their Zords, the White Ranger tapped a button on his morpher, and a growl was heard in the distance.

Tori and Sam came across Zurgane, who was waiting in ambush. He was surprised when he was kicked off his lookout point, falling over 30 feet and landing face first. He got up and wobbled for a minute while Tori and Sam started their attack. The other Rangers heard the battle and joined the girls, while Hunter hanged back. The girls were doing great, and he wanted to make sure there wouldn't be a sneak attack or another mind-altering beam like the one he was exposed to on Portico Island. Zurgane was eventually defeated, and he teleported back to the ship.

As the Rangers turned back to the main battle, they saw a Polar Bear Zord show up, and the White Ranger jumping into the Zord. The Zord stood on its hind legs and quickly dropped, causing a small tremor and knocking off the alien's equilibrium. The Zord did it a few more times, and the alien fell. The Zord then stood on its hind legs and began a transformation. The head lowered down onto the chest as a hidden helm rose in its place. The Bear's form became slender as its smashed its clawed paws together, and summoned an Ice Sword.

"Whoa, check out the cool Zord," Dustin gasped in awe. The other Rangers nodded as they saw the Bear's head fire an Ice blast, freezing the alien. The Ice Sword was raised and slashed diagonally several times, quickly defeating the creature for the final time. The Ranger leapt from his Zord and pressed the button on his morpher, sending the Zord back to its resting place. He quickly demorphed, leaving him in his Ninja uniform. His uniform had White piping and his mask covered his entire face, leaving only the eyes exposed. The others could see he was in very good shape, possessing a build similar to Hunter's. As Chris was about to leave, the Green Ranger sprinted towards him.

"Wait! Please wait," she said as she approached him.

He stopped and turned towards Sam as she came up on him. Shane was about to step forward and try to say something when Dustin held him back. Dustin simply shook his head when Shane looked at him for an explanation. Sam appeared to be doing a good job in convincing the Ranger to at least come back to Ops and listen to their mentor. Chris turned his head and gave a slight nod, silently giving his word to listen to their pitch. She smiled and gestured the others over.

"Cam, I've convinced the White Ranger to come back and listen to Sensei. Standing by for teleport," the Green Ranger said.

"Understood," came the reply as the others gathered around and Shane grabbed the Ice Ninja's arm. The Ice Ninja looked down at Shane's hand, which was griping his arm tightly.

"Unless you want to lose that hand, I suggest you let go now," Chris growled.

Shane took his hand off Chris' arm, looking none too pleased with the threat.

**Ninja Ops**

As soon as the Rangers arrived, Chris turned an intelligent gaze to the room, looking it over.

"Ice Ninja," Sensei started, bringing Chris' attention to the guinea pig. "I am Sensei Watanabe, who met with an unfortunate incident, transforming me into what you see before you. Could you tell us who you are?"

Chris bowed to Sensei when he introduced himself, and took off his mask. What they saw shocked the room's occupants. The Ice Ninja appeared to be identical to Hunter: His hair was the same shade of blond, although it was cleanly cut as opposed to Hunter's messy hair. The Ice Ninja's eyes were also a much darker shade of blue. But his build and height were very similar; he appeared to be slightly taller, though. The others stared at him, while Chris also wondered why the one in the Crimson Thunder uniform looked so similar. Shane groaned as he saw the resemblance; he still had some lingering issues with trusting Hunter.

"Uh Hunter, do you have a twin brother you never told us about," Dustin asked.

"Not that I know of," Hunter said, just as transfixed as the others. Finally, the Ice Ninja brought his gaze back to Sensei Watanabe and the other occupants.

"My name is Chris Hanaori, the son of the Sensei of the Ice Academy."

"Dude, no offense, but you don't look Japanese," Dustin said.

The Rangers groaned and Chris raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Yellow Ranger, then at Cam. "Is this guy for real," Chris asked, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder at Dustin.

"Unfortunately, he is," Cam replied in a sigh.

Chris turned to Dustin, who was waiting for a response. "I'm adopted," he put bluntly.

"Great, he looks like Hunter, and acts like him, too."

"I'm sorry," Chris asked while Hunter's eyes narrowed at Shane's comment.

"The other tall blond guy," Sam explained. "Maybe we should start over. Rangers aren't supposed to fight each other," she said pointedly, looking at Shane.

"OK. You already know my name. I'll be working at the Youth Center, which opens next week."

"You will? Me too," Sam said. Chris looked at her. "Did Rocky and Aisha tell you about me?"

"No, but there was a lot to go over, so it probably slipped their minds."

Sam shrugged. "Fair enough. I'm Samantha Sinclair, but I prefer Sam. That's Tori," she said, pointing to the Blue Ranger who smiled and waved. Chris greeted her in return and Sam continued. "The one in Navy is Blake, the guy in Yellow is Dustin, and the one at the computer is Cam; you were told about Hunter, and moody over there is Shane, the Red."

"And they say I lack tact," Shane mumbled.

"What was that," Sam asked in a low voice.

"There was no need for that comment. We just got one Hunter under control, now there's another?"

Chris wasn't sure he liked the Sky Ninja, and was already swiftly losing what little patience remained with him. It was time he showed that he wouldn't roll over for the leader. Hunter also pushed off the wall at Shane's comment, but Tori held her arm out, silently stopping the Crimson Thunder Ranger. She wanted to see how Chris would handle the sometimes-unruly Red. Hunter looked at Tori, but gave in.

"You got a problem," Chris growled, stepping closer to Shane.

"Yeah, we know nothing about you, and you've already proven to have a temper. How can we trust you?"

"Shane!"

Sensei's rebuke brought the Red Ranger's attention back to him. "Sorry Sensei."

"Sensei Watanabe, may I please be excused? I'd like to work this off before I do something I'll regret," Chris explained. Sensei nodded his ascension.

"That would be wise," the guinea pig stated. Chris bowed to him, and disappeared in an Icicle that shattered into very fine powder after he left. Sam turned to Shane in anger.

"God Shane, you were told about the Ice Ninja's powers, and the effect they could have on his personality. Yet you deliberately tried to provoke him! Did you have to be such an asshole," the Forest Ninja spat angrily, shocking everyone. The redhead was usually quiet and a very pleasant person to be around. Now, looking at her, Shane decided he definitely didn't like getting on her bad side, as her face seemed to be as dark red as her hair, and her words cut deep. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "We're supposed to try to gain his trust, not alienate him from us. You might drive him right into Lothor's grasp."

"If I drive him into Lothor's grasp, he wouldn't have really been on our side, now would he? Have you forgotten that he already assassinated one of Lothor's aliens? Since when does a Ranger kill outright?"

"That alien was sent here to kill _us, _in case you forgot! If anything, he saved us energy, which is hardly a bad thing, as sometimes there are two or God forbid, more attacks a day. And once again, he saved our hides! Show a little gratitude for once, and stop trying to pick a fight! Now I'm going to try to see if I can talk to him, and try to get him back here. He did the right thing in trying to blow off steam out there rather than fight you, despite your blatant provocation. You could learn a thing or two from him," she finished in a growl of her own, storming off after she bowed to Sensei Watanabe and gaining his permission to leave.

Blake also received permission to take off, as well as the others. They bowed to Sensei, who told Shane to remain, with Cam continuing to work on the computer.

"You deliberately tried to escalate the situation. After being informed, you still tried to provoke an altercation. You will start cleaning Ops now," Sensei said, pointing to the storage closet. Shane sighed but pulled out the cleaning supplies and got to work.

"Chris?"

The White Ranger turned as he heard Sam walking up to him in the forest where he was practicing a kata. Now that he got a closer look at the Green Ranger, Chris felt his mouth go dry. She had fiery red hair, emerald eyes, a body models beg for, and her face had light freckles. She was easily the most stunning girl he had ever seen, and her Irish lilt made her even more attractive.

"Are you alright?"

Her question brought Chris back to reality, as he realized he had been staring. "Yeah, I just had to get away before I put Shane on his ass."

"Shane had problems with Hunter when he first came. I think he was trying to punish him for his stunt as an evil Ranger. But he eventually got his act together."

"Yeah, well it doesn't seem like it, with the pot shots he took at Hunter. And why punish me for his issues with Hunter? I was extremely close to turning him into a popsicle!"

Sam sighed. "Wish I knew. Since you look so much like Hunter, Shane was probably reminded of the troubles we had the Bradleys, and didn't want an encore. But that excuse his actions. Especially when he grabbed your arm like that."

Chris's eyes narrowed when he thought back to that. "Nobody grabs me like that."

Sam saw her chance. "Changing the subject now. If you don't mind my asking, did you know there was someone out there who looked like you? Did you wonder about a twin?"

"Honestly, no. I never knew my real parents, and my first foster parents never said anything about a possible brother. Maybe they didn't even know."

"Your _first _foster parents? What happened?"

Sam sat down on a nearby rock as Chris took a deep breath. "They were murdered when I was 5." 

"By Lothor?"

"No. He called himself Darkonda. I later found out he was a mercenary who worked for Dark Specter, the Monarch of Evil."

"But Darkonda and Dark Specter were both destroyed in the Countdown. That was back in the late 90's."

"It happened a little after my fifth birthday in 1990. We were coming home from dinner when that monstrosity leapt out and just slew my parents with no warning or provocation. I can still remember his maniacal laugh, as they couldn't even throw one punch. He turned to me and tried to grab me when the Rangers of the time forced him back. He fled, but not before saying that he'll get me yet and use my power to have him achieve glory."

Sam didn't know what to say to that. Sorry would seem inadequate. "I…I wish I could say I knew how to make you feel better. I can't imagine what that must have been like."

Chris shrugged again. "It still hurts, but not as much as before. I may have been denied my revenge, but Darkonda and Dark Specter still got what was coming to them, and that helped a great deal. And after my first set of foster parents died, Sensei Hanaori and his wife took me in and officially adopted me. That's why I have their name."

Sam nodded. She didn't need the explanation, but it did clear up some things she was wondering about. She changed the subject again.

"So, you have Water powers," she asked. Chris nodded slightly.

"All Ice Ninjas instinctively know how to use the Water powers. We never knew why, just that we do. Some postulate that it's due to the correlation between Water and Ice, while others believe there's a more complex reason than that. Whatever the reason, we know how to use them, although a lot of my kind ignores the powers in favor of using strictly the Ice powers, a rather limiting frame of mind."

"So you don't ignore it? You use the Water powers?"

"Yes. It's the perfect setup for an Ice attack."

"I've always been meaning to ask Hunter why he can use Lightning powers when Blake cannot," Sam said in an afterthought.

"What do you mean he can't? He's a Thunder Ninja, right? He should have the power, as well."

"I don't know. Not even Cam knows. Sensei Omino should have the answer, but he's been captured, along with the surviving students and teachers of the Thunder Academy."

Chris' eyes hardened at that. "Yes, and we have to get them back, along with everyone else."

"We will. Anyway, I just wanted to talk, and see if you're alright."

"I'm better, now. Thanks," he said smiling, which she returned.

"Not a problem. Now that I know we're going to be co-workers, we have to stick together, right," she said with mirth.

Chris didn't mind that prospect at all. "Yeah, yeah we do. I'll see you around. I'm going to continue exploring the city. Once I find the way out of here, of course."

"I'll show you. I forgot we didn't show you where this place is, and how to get to and from."

After being shown the way to gain access to the Academy and Ninja Ops, Chris went back to his apartment to take a quick nap before he went back out. He didn't know what was in store, but he knew he wouldn't put up with Shane's temper tantrums. He'd try his best to not start a fight, but he'd certainly finish it, and God help Shane if he started one.


End file.
